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Reminder: Revised ATF Form 4473 Required for Use April 1, 2023

Written by jon rydberg

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March 30, 2023

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White text atop red background next to image of revised ATF Form 4473 available for download

On Saturday, April 1, 2023, all licensed firearm retailers and pawnbrokers will be required to use the revised ATF Form 4473 to complete firearm transactions. 

Announced in December 2022, the new ‘Firearms Transaction Record’ form was updated to reflect statutory requirements set forth in the NICS Denial Notification Act, Bipartisan Safer Community Act, and ATF Final Rule 2021R-05F regarding frames/receivers.

Revised Form 4473 Changes

Notable changes to the revised ATF Form 4473 include:

  • Privately Made Firearms (PMFs) must now be recorded (Section A, 1)
  • Addition of ‘Reside in City Limits’ to transferee/buyer address (Section A, 10)
  • Two additional prohibited persons questions (Section B, 21.b and 21.c) relating to straw purchases and illegal firearms trafficking
  • Addition of address, county and ZIP code where gun show takes place (Section C, 25)
  • Additional instructions and response blocks regarding Enhanced Background Checks for transferees/buyers under 21 (Section C, 27.c and 27.d)

A complete list of changes can be found here.

How to Get Revised Forms 4473

The revised ATF Form 4473 can be downloaded and printed for immediate use from ATF’s website. Hard copies of the Revised Form may also be ordered from the ATF Distribution Center by contacting (703) 870-7526/(703) 870-7528 or ordering online. Check ‘Forms and Applications,’ then select Form 4473 and enter your desired quantity.

Please note, the entire Form 4473, including instructions, must be downloaded, printed, and stored together to comply with ATF regulation.

Screenshots of Revised ATF Form 4473, Pages 1-3
2023 Firearms Industry Conference (FIC) logo and white text atop blue background

Electronic ATF Forms 4473

FFLs using electronic A&D Bound Book and/or Form 4473 solutions are also required to use the revised firearm transaction form beginning April 1, 2023.

In March, Orchid updated its own e4473 software to reflect changes of the revised ATF Form 4473. The revised Form is now in use by all Orchid eBound™ and POS retail customers. To get started with Orchid eBound/e4473 or learn more about Orchid’s compliance services, visit orchidadvisors.com/retailsolutions.

Revised ATF Form 4473

Download Form

The official text is at 91 FR 24357, Federal Register Volume 91, Issue 87 (May 6, 2026), pages 24357–24362. The docket is also open for comment at regulations.gov (Docket ATF-2026-0009) through midnight Eastern on June 5, 2026. This rule is part of ATF’s broader New Era of Reform package announced earlier this spring — see Orchid’s previous coverage of the Trump DOJ / ATF rule reforms for FFLs.

Unlike many publications on the Federal Register, this change was posted as a Direct Final Rule, making it immediately effective August 4, 2026 without a separate notice-for-comment cycle — unless significant adverse comments are received by June 5.

 

What Didn’t Change?

Permitting FFLs to verify a transferee’s license via ATF eZ Check does not eliminate the regulatory mandate to actually verify the transferee’s license prior to a firearm transfer. The change is in the method of verification — not whether verification is required.

 

Orchid Customers Already Benefit

Orchid eBound, POS, and eCommerce have integrated directly with ATF FFL eZ Check for years. Every FFL transfer routed through your account is already being validated against ATF’s live data — no separate window, no PDF chasing, no manual license-number lookup. This is the same architecture that helped Orchid stay compliant through the ATF Ruling 2021R-05 changes and powers Orchid’s ATF Transaction Advisory Program for retail dealers.

For higher-volume transferors — manufacturers, distributors, and ERP-driven FFLs — our eFFL API delivers FFL and Letter of Authorization (LOA) data directly into the systems where your team actually works. The eFFL API is in production at customers running BSP NetSuite, Epicor, Infor, and other major ERPs, and is widely used inside eCommerce checkout flows to geo-select valid FFL ship-to destinations. See, for example, Prudent American’s launch with Orchid eBound, eSerial, eFFL API and the BSP NetSuite Firearms Edition (part of the JJE Capital Holdings family, alongside Palmetto State Armory).

 

Questions?

Contact your Orchid customer service or compliance services representative, or visit the Orchid eBound page or Orchid eState / eFFL API page to learn more.

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